Display device



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B'. F. s'TENz DISPLAY DEVICE Filed sept. 7, 1929 Patented May -27, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BERNARD F. STENZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SIMPLEX SAMPLING ASSOCI- ATION, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., .A CORPORATION OF NEW 'YORK DISPLAY DEVICE Application led September 7, i929. Serial No. 390,974.

'Ihe present invent-ion relates to a display device for showing a miniature representation of an object constructed of a patternedl material, the pattern of the material being proportionately reduced. -Y

One object of the invention 1s toenable a purchaser of dress material of a given attern to determine how a garment .will ook when made of that particular material and to provide a miniatureA or reduced picture of a garment through which the material may be observed wit-h the pattern of the fabric proportionately reduced with reference to the size of the miniature or yreduced picture of the garment, through which the material is visible. Further objects will appear in connection with the following specification.

As illustrated in the'accompanying drawing, the invention is particularly adapted for showing how a womans dress or gown would appear when made up of a patterned dress material.

In the drawing Figure 1 shows in prespective the device in use.

Figure 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the device as shown in Figure 1,7the displayed material being omitted.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modified form of the device. v

Figure 4 is a front view of a modified form of stencil.

In its simplest form, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the device comprises a reducing lens of glass 1, circular in form and fitted within a circular metallic band 2, the band being supported by a post 3. The post 3'may have at its lower end the usual grip or handle (not shown) ofan ordinary reading glass whereby the user may carry it and use-it in the customary manner of using areadingglass.

Preferably, however, the post 3 will be provided with a base 4 which 'may bemounted upon a table 5, the latter being provided with supporting legs 6 Vwhereby 1t may be ported upon a table or counter-7. This'w position the device at a convenient height for;

the, observer. [Cooperating with the reduce ing lens 1 is a stencil 8 which may be prof duced by an opaque pi t pliddirectly tovone sur ace'of the r'ed'liciii'gA in' maypbe'squareor supported in a square Suitable means, vlsuch' as adetachable frame or clips 21a, will be provided whereby the re'-,`

lens 1 leaving at its center a clear space 9 having the outline of a dress or garment. The paint applied to the lens will, of course, be of such color and consistency as to render vthe lensA opaque or non-transparent at all portions excepting that portion showing the picture.

As shown in Figure 1 when a piece of patterned fabric 10 is viewed through the clear portion'which shows a picture of a gown in reduced size, assuming that the fabric has- `been properly focused with relation to the position of the reducing 1ens,.the observer will see a picture of the gown in reduced size with the pattern of the fabric proportionately reduced with relation to the reduced picture of the gown.

For convenience in displaying textile fabrics in the bolt a standard l1 having at its upper end a supporting bar 12 with upturned guards 13 may be provided, the .standard 11 passing through aslot 14 in the base or table 5, which permits the standard 11 to be adjusted toward and from the reducing lens, to Y secure a proper focusing of the material with relation thereto, and the standard 11 carries at its lower end a suitable locking device, as for instance a winged nut 15 engaging the threaded end of the standard, by means of which it may be secured in adjusted position. The table 5 may be of such a length that the bolt of fabric 10 may rest thereon when the fabric is draped over the bar 12.

In the modification of the device shown'in Figures 3 and 4, the-'stencil -instead of-being Y produced by paint applied to one surface of the lens, may be formed 'separately comprising a transparent sheet of material 16, such as glass or Celluloid, which maybe painted 'as shown 4at 17 leaving a clear portion 18 of 4the gown,crit may -'consist as shown in Figure 3 of a' sheet of'paper or other thin opaque material19 'c'iit. outas'indica'ted at 20 which may be securedby. an adhesive to the tran'sparent sheet. offhi'aterialy *16.-* lAs indicated in Figure/1 stencil maybe square' instead ofround, assuming lthat the reducinigT lens ame.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to display textile fabrlcs in a manner to a'ord an observer a representation of a garment made therefrom and that for thisV purpose stencils have been employed either cut out .of opaque material or made of celi luloid or other transparent material and that such stencils have been either et reduced or miniature siie or ofull size andlaid over in close contact with the material to be di'splayed. When such stencils are made of full size they are much too bulky and cumbersome for eneral use, particularly to display to a purc aser in a store at the counter where such materials are sold, and they are genrally employed more as window displays and have been more or less successful for that purpose. Where stencils have been made to show the garment or object in miniature form when laid upon the fabric the'pattern, of the fabric when viewed through a reduced p icture of the garment cannot, of course, glve` the observer an accurate picture of the apparance of the gown made of such fabric, cause of the relatively large size of. the pattern of thefabric as compared with the picture of the gown. l

In operation the display device is' supported at a suitable distanee'from the patterned fabric and from the eye .of the observer, so that the proper focusing'of the fabric with relation to the picture of the article shown on the display devicev will're-- sult in reducing the .pattern with relation'to l the size of the object shown on the display device. The observer looking a't the'display device sees a picture of the object in Vreduced f size with the pattern 'of the fabric correspondingly-reduced and gets a visual impres-A sion of how a particular patterned fabric will I.

look when made up.

The term stencil as used in the foregoing specification is intended to includenot only the usual cut out form in'wliich the picture 1 is formed by cutting o ut a sheet -ofgofpaque material, but also as.- indicatedV the-:forming have its pattern as thus viewed, correspondobject shown on the stencil.

I claim:

1. A display device comprising a reducing lens and an opa ue stencil defining in reduced size a picture or an object, the reducing lens and stencil being in close relation to each other whereby a patterned material may be viewed through the picture and lens, with the pattern oiD the material reduced with relation to the size of the picture.

2. A display device comprising a reducing lens and an opaque stencil formed by a coating directly applied to one face of the reducing lens and defining inreducedsize a picture of an object, the lens being exposed through the picture of the object.

3. A display device comprsin a reducing ingly reduced in size relatively to that of the -lens and an opaque stencil de ning in reduced size a-pictue of an objectvthrough which and the reducing lens a patterned material may be visible, means for supporting the reducing lens and stencil, a support for` focus.

BERNARD F. STENZ.

l los of such stencil by paint applicdtothereducing lens or to a transparent-sheet separate from the lens or any and all fo'r'xrisp opaque bodies showing a cut `out"or'transparent picf ture of the obJect to be displayed'.- 'Ifile-prinsl cipal. feature of the pesentiriven'tion conf sists 1n the combination of such a stencil ,with a reducing lens whereby the vpatterlu'ec'l mai. 

